Tuesday, 26 July 2016

ONE of the most dramatic moments in the
history of football is recalled in a new
e-book.

It was during the World Cup Final 50 years ago
on July 30 that linesman Tofiq Bahramov controversially signalled that, yes, the
ball had crossed the line and England's third goal against West Germany should
stand.

It was the turning point of the match which England went in to win
4-2.

Whether or not he was correct, the book insists that, at this critical moment, Bahramov's prompt, decisive and
authoritative action got the Swiss referee off the hook and probably saved the
situation from degenerating into a fiasco of confusion which could have put a
touch paper to the integrity of the match.

His action was taken with a flourish and a
flamboyance that - at least for a few moments that summer afternoon - made him
a latter-day Boris Johnson.

Actually from Baku in Azerbaijan, Bahramov
became known as the "Russian linesman" because, at that time, his country was
part of the Soviet republic.

Following the match he was subjected in West
Germany to a campaign of derision which lasted for months.

Media there claimed he had a grudge against
their country, motivated by a thirst for revenge for atrocities said to have
been committed by German soldiers on Russians during bitter fighting at
Stalingrad in the Second World War.

This was compounded, it was claimed, by West
Germany's defeat of the Soviet Union in the semi-final of the 1066
tournament.

Perhaps because the goal had been awarded, most
English pundits were initially more favourably inclined, but here,
too, Bahramov's reputation subsequently went into decline such that he is
now frequently referred to as the "dodgy Russian linesman".

There was a
mischievous suggestion he had only been appointed to the Final itself after
having induced an official of FIFA's referees' appointments panel with a gift
of caviar - a speciality of Azerbaijan and the Caspian region.

More recently, former Barclays Premier League
referee Graham Poll was among those who joined in the condemnation,
even scoffing at Bahramov's belly which, for some reason, he claims was
"substantial".

But author Jim Wright says there is no shred of evidence to support any of the personal
scorn heaped on the linesman.

He insists: "Bahramov made a brave and honest judgement based on his view
- which, even if an optical illusion - would certainly have indicated that the
ball had crossed the goal line in that famous incident.

"He could have ducked the moment, If that had happened, the referee, who
had been uncertain whether or nor the ball had crossed the line, would have had
to have guessed - and the whole world would have known he was guessing."

FIFA certainly had no problem with Bahramov's performance - he was
subsequently selected as one of the officials for the final stages of the next
World Cup in Mexico.

In between, he was to referee many important matches in European
competitions, including those involving Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and
Wolverhampton Wanderers.

If West Germany did have cause for complaint, it was probably that the
referee had to allow play to continue in the build-up to England's fourth goal,
even though he should have stopped play because several fans had run on to the
pitch.

Writing in the aftermath of the match, Denis Howell, a former referee and
Minister of Sport in the government of Harold Wilson, said all three match
officials had "amply justified the confidence placed in them by FIFA".

During his research on the career and background of Bahramov - who died of
heart failure, aged 68, in March 1993 - the author also unearthed much else about the
famous Wembley final.

For instance, most of the England players were paid £400 by an
up-and-coming German sportswear manufacturer to wear new branded boots for the
final, but some stayed loyal to those which they had worn previously - and, with
the grudging acceptance of Adidas, painted white stripes on the sides of
them.

BBC TV commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme, who was on medication for a heart
condition, had pre-match concerns about his health, while Alan Ball's wife,
Lesley, succumbed to a fainting fit when West Germany equalised in the last
minute of normal time.

At the post-match banquet at a London hotel, the atmosphere among the
German players was so sour that they could not get away soon enough - they
headed for a disco in London's Leicester Square where they were
unrecognised.

The 'Russian' Linesman is available, price £0.99, only as an
e-book from Kindle.